Bow for musical instruments



, c'. D. IIIGG.

BOW FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.24. 1920.

1,427,851, y y Patentedept. 5, 1922.

' y having my invention applied thereto.V

Patented Sept. 5, 1922."

UNITED? STATES y i 1,427,853l

e OFFICE.

CHARLES n. Rice; or-AL'rooivnV1Jicinvsnrnvaiv1A.`

BOMT` FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

AppIcation led yNovember 24`7 1920.' `Serial No. 426,229.

To all whom t may yconcern Beit known that CHARLES D. Rico, a citi'- zen oi' the United States, residing at Altoona,

in the county of Blair and State of Penn-` Sylvania,` has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bows for Musical In-`` struments, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to stringed musical'4 are. placed under the same tension, when drawnto position by the musician'.

A Jfurther object of the vinvention is to provide an additional tension device to be used with the bow hair, in combination withv the usualtension adjustment now commonl used in connection with the frog'of the ord1- nary bow. v

A still further object of the device is to provide a plurality of metallic receptacles or clampsy at the ends of the bow'hair, which form the part of the bow that engages the various strings on the instrument .to be played,V one `of such clamps being movable within/the frog, for the purposeof securing the clampy and providingk additional means for tightening` the bow hairs in the bow.

`With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists in the. novel construction, combination and arrangement of` parts herein-` after more fully pointed out, illustrated and claimed.

Itwill,of course, ybe understood by those skilledk in the art to. which this inventiony relatesthatthesame is quite susceptibleo'f various changes and modifications without departing fromthe spirit or scope ofathe invention, but a preferable and thoroughly practicable application vof the invention is shown `in the accompanying' drawings `in Figure 1 `ibs'an elevationv of a violin bowl" A n as-showny in Figure :3 of 'the drawings.

frog.

Figure Q'isan enlarged detail view of the tiplend of the bow `illustrating the means whereby the hairs are held in the tip end of the bow.`

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailview of the frog end of the `bow and illustrates' the manner of securing the bow hairs in the frog, together with an additional means for adding tension to the hair in the bow F igurei is a detail view ofthehair clamp that is ladapted to be fitted intothe tip of theibow. y l Y Figuresand '5a are respectivelya detail view partly in section ofthe tip .end of the bow;` showing a yreceptacle vfor'thebow hair clamp, and an inverted plan view of the tip endof the bow.

VFigures v6 andaare respectively a detaily view partly ink section of the .frog end oflthe bow, illustrating the receptacle ifory the lhair clamp, and an inverted planview ofl the Figure 7 is an end elevation of the-frog shown in Figure 6 of the drawings.

Figure 8 isa section ofthe frog taken on thef'line l8--8 of Figure' 6.

Figure 9 isa perspectlve'vie'w ofthe openposition of the bow hair clamp=v which vis adapted to lit into the tip end "of they bow as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings;

Figure lOis a perspective view'showing the closed position of the clamp, the various hairs being'v in -positi'on'asfwhen placedin position in the tip lend of the bow.v

Figure 11 is an open edge-viewofthebow hairclamp adapted'dto be itted'into the'iiog end Jof the bow, `and 'shown' in operative position inr Figure 3 of the drawings; y

Figure 12is a side elevation of the `clamp shown in Figure 11 and illustrates 'the mannery of distributing ='the hair in the'y clamp,y such that each hair will havethe same tension when'drawn to place on the strings of ithe instrument played by the musician'.

Figure' 13 isa closed edge view oflthe Ycla-'mp shown in'Figures 11 and 12 and illustrates fthe manner of Securing the hairof @the` bow inthe clamp.

Figure 14`is`a #detail view'ofla screw used in-connectionfwithnthelclamp shown in the fron: end ot the bow,"and shown yin position in Figure 3-of theldrawing's.

Figurevl includes planand edge views of the cover plate used to cover the opening in the irog, vafter the hair clampi is Ain position Figure 16 includes a plan and elevation of a ferrule forming a part of the frog, and used as a housing for a wood wedge over which the hairs pass that emerge from the clamp in the frog.

Similar reference numerals refer to siniilar parts throughout the several ligures of the drawings.

ln carrying out this invention no change is contemplated in the usual construction of the violin bow, and the tip and. frog as commonly constructor., can. with a slight modification be made to receive the elements of this invention and to this end l follow the usual construction of the bow designated by the numeral10, the saine having a tip 11, a op; designated in its entirety by the numeral 1Q, and bow hairs 13 adapted to be drawn taut between the tip 11 and the frog 12 as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

In the face 14 of the bow tip 11 I provide a recess or tip socket 15, into which may lit a threaded nut plate 16, which is engaged by a screw 17 The said recess 15 is adapted to receive a coinpressible clamp 18, having a transverse groove 19 on its outer face, which is adapted to receive the inner end of the screw 17 to hold the clamp 18 in its place in the recess 15. In applying the clamp 18 to the bow hairs 13, the hairs or strands forming a part of the bow are tied into a knot 20 which is forced into the opening 21, preferably made circular in shape at the junction of the jaws 22 and 23 of the clamp 18. The knot 2O in the bow hair 13 having been placed in the circular opening` Q1 the clamp jaws are closed as shown in Figure 10 of the drawings. The jaws having been closed a cementing preparation such as resin, is placed around the hairs in the clamp to assist in holding the same in place. The hairs as they emerge from the clamp are spread out such that the clamp can be readily closed, thus holding the hair in place and at the same time provide adequate inea-ns whereby the hairs or strings are all evenly distributed over the face of the clamp j aw, which is quite essen tial in order to obtain an equal tension on each of the hairs.

The frog 12 is likewise provided with a recess. which is adapted to receive a frog clamp 25. The clamp is provided with moans for holding a knotted end 26 in the bow hair 13, after which 'the hairs are spread out evenly over the tace of the jaw 27. The jaws 27 and F28 are then closed upon the strings as shown in Figure 13 of the drawings7 and a cenienting solution is applied to the portion of the hairs within the clamp for the purpose of binding the same togeth er.

The jaw .27 of the clamp 25 is provided with a projecting central lug 29, which is threaded to receive a tension anchor screw 30, that is designed to pass through an open ing S1 in 'the frog 12, and engage the threaded. lug 29 and enter a smaller diameter drilled hole 39. in aliuement with the opening 31. The screw 3() is provided with an extension that is not threaded which allows better facilities for alining the clamp with the bow.

For the purpose of covering the recess Q11, there is provided a slide 25 which is adapted to coact with a suitable grooif'e 36 in the face 37 of the frog as shown in iligure 6 of the drawings.

And to provide a iinish tor the vtace of the frog` where the bow strings emerge, there is provided a ferrule 355, which is shown in place in l? i gure 3. T he ferrule is flattened on one side in alineinent with the face of the frog while it is further litted with a wooden. wedge 39 which acts as a bridge over which the hairs that form the bow pass.

In the manufacture of these iniproved bows, it is proposed to construct the tip and frog of the bow as above explained and to provide the bow hair with the tip and frog clamp attached and the restringing of the bow will be only a matter oil a few seconds while at the present time the rehairing requires several hours. l have thus produced an article of manufacture that is not only novel and durable but it saves the time of the musician and manufacturers as well.

l claim:

1 A detachable and replaceable bow string construction including in combination witl the bow having tip and frog sockets, a bow string, and a removable tip clamp unit includingtwo relatively compressible jaws for clamping the string and means carried by the bow for holding said tip clamp in the tip socket of the bow and also maintaining the aws of said clamp in engagement with the string.

2. A detachable and replaceable bow string construction including in combination with the bow having tip and frog sockets, a bow string having` a tip clamp at one end and a frog clamp at the other, said frog clamp having relatively compressible jaws for gripping the frog end of the string, and one of said aws carrying a nut element, a slide for covering the frog socket and constituting` a wall against which one of the jaws of the frog clamp vimpinges7 and a screw for engaging); with the nut element to shift the clamp longfg'itudinally in the socket.

A frog clamp construction for bow strings including in combination with a frog socket, a screw spanning the socket and having its head portion exposed at the outside of the frog for manipulation, a clamp for the frog end of the string consisting of relatively compressible clamping jaws, a nut element carried by one of said jaws and engaging the screw whereby said jaw is held relatively fixed with reference to the i plane of movement of the other j aw, and a sliding` cover for the` socket of the 'frog adapted to engage with the other aw of the clamp thereby to maintainit'in relatively compressed relation to the other jaw i'or gripping the end of the bow string. y

4. A detachable and replaceable bow string construction, including inncombination,` a bow having tip and frog sockets. a bow string, a tip clamp fitted in the tip socket of the bow, means for holdingthe same in position, a frog clamp engaging one end of the string and itting in thel frog; socket, and means carried by the frog and engaging the frog clamp for shifting the .same longitudinally in the frog socket to regulatethe tension on the string.

5. A bow string construction including a bow having a tip socket, a compressible clamp consisting of' opposite spring jaws for receiving and clamping one end of the string, one of said jaws having a groove in its outer face, and means carried by thev tip of the bow and projecting into the tip socket for engaging with the groove in thev clamp to hold the saine in the socket and also compress the aws thereof to` securely grip 'the end of the string.v j

6. A bow string construction including a bow having a frog socket,` a bow string` fitted `at one end to .the tip of vthe bow, a

frog clamp of substantially U-shaped cha-racter adaptedA to grip the frog' end of the string7 a nut element carried by the frog; clamp, a screw carried by the frog and adapted to engage the nut element of the frog to shift the latter inthe frog socket to adjust the tension on the bow string.

In testimony whereof l have affixed my signature. l

- CHARLES D. RIGG. 

